Electric switching system.



N0. 63I,497. Patented Aug. 22, I899. J. BRENNAN, .IR.

ELECTRIC SWITCHING SYSTEM.

Application filed July 11, 189B.)

(N0 Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 63l,497. Patented Aug. 22, I899. v

- J.--BRENNAN, In.

ELECTRIC SWITCHING SYSTEM.

(Application filed July 1 1, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 63!,497. Patented Aug. 22, I899. J. BRENNAN, In. ELECTBIQ SWITCHING SYSTEM. (Application filed. July 11, 1898.)

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(Application fixed July 11, 1398.

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT twice.

JOHN BRENNAN, JR, or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC SWITCHING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,497, dated August 22, 1899.

Application filed July 11, 1898. Serial No. 685,699. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN BRENNAN, J r. a citizen of the United States,residing at the cit y ing system. Fig. 2 is an end elevational.

view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View, taken on line 3 3, Figs. 1 and 4, of the contact making and breaking device, together with a portion of a trolley-arm and its carried wheel. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational View of said c011 tact making and breaking device, the trolley arm and wheel being omitted. Fig 6 is a detail end view of the contact-arm, together with its support, said support being designed to be clamped to the upper portion of the trolley-pole in proper position to cause its carried arm to cooperate with the contact making and breaking device. tical sectional view of the switch-actuating mechanism, said view being taken on line 7 7, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a portion of the switch, illustrating the mechanism cooperating therewith forthrowing the same.' Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional View of the same, taken on line 9 9, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic plan View of a railroad system designed to facilitate the explanation of the operation of my improved automatic switch, and Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic illustration of the contacting portion of the circuit maker and breaker.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in switches for railroads, and particularly electric roads, wherein the motive power for the car is taken from a wire suspended above said car by means of a trolicy-pole. I

The object of my present invention is to provide a simple, durable, inexpensive, and reliable automatic switch which will enable Fig. '7is a ver- 1 cars to properly switch from one track to another automatically, thus relieving the .motorm'an or conductor from that duty, as

well as obviating the necessity of employing additional help to manipulate said switches, as is practiced by some roads on which manually-operated switches are used.

A further object resides in so constructing my automatic switch and its cooperating mechanism that almost all of the moving parts employed therein are completely housed, thus being protected from dust, ice, &c., thereby materially decreasing the liability of the same from getting out of order.

The essential features of this invention reside, first, in the novel construction of the circuit making and breaking device, which is suspended above the trolley-wire; second, in the novel construction of the arms or projections secured to the trolley-arm, designed to co operate with said circuit maker and breaker, and, third, in the novel construction of the mechanism for operating the switch, together with suitable electric magnets and their proper electric connections between said switch-operating mechanism and the circuit maker and. breaker suspended above the trolley-wire.

Other features of invention reside in th construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A and A" represent the rails of a track, B a switch, and B one of'the rails of a branch track, said switch B being so placed as to cooperate with the rail A,"

thereby forming a straight unbroken track, or to move inwardly a sufficient distance to permit a car moving along said rails A and A to pass onto the branch track, all of these parts being of old and well-known construction.

0 indicates the frame of whatI have termed a contact making and breaking device}? and is located a suitable distance in advance of the switch '13, and preferably suspended above the trolley-wire O. This frame 0 of the circuit making and breaking device is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings, and consists, preferably, of a rectangular frame (in plan view) made of suitable material to insure stability, and,'if

desired, may be braced by suitable an gleirons. This frame is suspended, as beforestated, preferably above the trolley-wire by wires 0 c, said wires being secured to the frame in any suitable manner, but preferably by being socured to suitable eyes 0' c, secured to the corners thereof, said wires being secured at their outer ends to poles c" 0, arranged on both sides of the trolley-wire and preferably located upon the outer edge of the sidewalk or street. On the frame 0 are mounted suitable depending frames D D, located one on each side of the trolley-wire O, the vertical members of which are preferably provided upon the upper ends with an inverted-U-shaped bend or loop (Z, designed to engage and rest upon the sides 0" of the frame C and permit lateral adjustment of said frames D D upon said frame 0 relative to the trolleywire 0. This adjustment is preferably accomplished by loosening suitable clampingbolts d, which pass through and clamp the sides of the loop (1 to the sides 0 of the frame 0. The vertical members which form one side of the clamping-loop d of the frames D D are preferably connected by a stiffeningbrace c, which, while bracing the frames D D, causes said frames D D to brace the rectangular frame 0, thus makinga substantial structure. The lower portion 0 of the frames D D, which connect the lower ends of the vertical members to which the brace c" is secured, is designed to extend some distance below the trolley-wire O and is provided upon its lower face with contact arms or levers E E, respectively, pivoted at one end to a lug or support 6, secured to but insulated from said portion 0, said pivot lug or support being preferably at that end of the levers E E nearest an approaching car. This lever normally occupies an inclined position sloping from the pivot-point to its lowest and free end, and when said lever is in an abnormal or raised position said free end is brought to about a horizontal position. In order that the frame 0 and its carried parts may at all times bear a fixed vertical position relative to the trolley-wire O, I prefer to fasten said frame 0 to the trolley-wire by suitable clamps 0 0 secured to but insulated from frame 0.

F indicates the upper end ofa trolley-pole, which is provided with the usual rolling contact-wheel f. Near the upper end of this trolley-pole is clamped a suitable support G, said support being provided with an extension g, so placed and arranged thereon as to receive and hold a suitable cross-arm H. Said cross-arm after being positioned upon the extension 9 is securely fastened thereto by a setscrew h. From the horizontal portion of the cross-arm I-I rises one or more fingers h h h, said fingers being of such length that their upper edges will be in the path of some of the pivoted ends of the levers E E and raise the free ends of said levers when any one of said fingers contacts therewith. In this way gravity acts to make the contacts E and E practically the equivalents of spring-contacts. 13y forming the support G and the arm II of separate pieces I am enabled to remove said arm and replace the same byan arm provided with difierentlyarranged fingers for a car of another division when desired without disturbingsaid support. Otherwise it would be necessary, if the support and arm were integral, to adjust the support G to its proper position upon its trolleypole every time it was desired to change the relation of the arm II to the contacts E and E. Thus it will be seen that when the support is once clamped to the trolley-pole it will at all times be in a correct position to receive an arm II regardless of the position of the fingers on the arm.

The arms E E, which, as before stated, are insulated from their supporting-frames D D, are provided with suitable flexible electric connections in the form of wires I I, which lead to a pole J, pole J being positioned at about the same distance from the trolley-wire as is the pole 0, but located opposite the switch B, as will be clearly understood by referring to Fig. 1.

To one side of poleJ and preferably clamped thereto is a box K, said box being designed to rest upon the sidewalk or street, in which box is located a pair of oppositely disposed solenoid-magnets L L, said magnets cooperating with a core L, to the center of which core is pivoted one end of a lever M, said lever M being properly pivoted in suitable bearings to the box K. The other or lower end of this lever M extends some distance below the surface of the street and is connected to a rod N. As before stated, the box K rises from and rests upon the sidewalk or street, and as the lower end of the lever M extends some distance below said street I arrange a section of pipe 0 of sufficient diameter to permit the free movement of the end of said lever therein around the lower end of the lever M, said pipe extending a short distance above the sidewalk or street and sufficiently far into the ground thatits lower end is some distance beneath the end of lever M. The lower end of this pipe is left open in order that any water which may get in the pipe will drain oif.

Rod N is incased in a pipe P of suliicient diameter to permit the free movement therein, said rod and its casing-pipe being under the rails A A.

I will now describe the construction of that portion of the switch-actuating mechanism which is located directly beneath said switch and call particular attention to Figs. 7,8, and 9.

In the flange of the rail A, approximately midway the ball of the rail and the guardrail and a suflicient distance away from the recess designed to receive the free end of the switch B, is located a disk B, said disk being preferably countersunk in the flange of said rail and is formed with its upper face preferably flush therewith. From the upper face of this disk and located a suitable distance from the center thereof is arranged a pin or projection r, and from the center of said disk R and extending downwardly and integral therewith is a shaft 4", said shaft being preferably journaled in a bearing S, secured in any suitable manner to the web of the rail A, the under face of said disk R preferably resting upon the top of said bearing, holding the same in its designed position. The lower end of this shaft r passes into a suitable box or casing U. Near the lower end of this shaft 0" is formed a non-circular portion 7, designed to receive one end of a lever V, the same being provided with a similar non-circular opening to fit the portion r, after which the same is secured thereto by a set-screw or pin it. The extreme lower end of this shaft r is preferably slipped or reduced to a cylindrical shape whose diameter is no greater than the narrowest thickness of the non-circular portion r and finds a bearing in a suitable recess formed in the bottom of the box or casing U.

The outer end of the lever V is pivotally secured to the opposite end of the rod N to that upon which the lever M is pivoted. The pin or projection r is designed to cooperate with the switch B, said pin r being received by an opening or hole I) in the under face of said switch, it being understood that this connection is near the free end of said switch where'the least power is needed to operate the same, but being sufficiently far away from the point of said switch to permit the hole I) to be formed.

The casing-pipe P for the rod N is secured at one ofits ends to the pipe 0 and at the other end into the box or casing U. Thus it will be seen that all of the moving parts of this portion of myinvention, with the exception of the top face of the disk R and the switch B, are completely housed and when either of the magnets L L is energized the core L moves the lever M in one direction or the other, causing the rod N through the medium of the lever V to rock the shaft 0" and partially rotate the disk R and cause the pin or projection r to operate the switch in the proper direction. The wires 1 1', which, as before stated, are supported by but insulated from poles c and J, enter the box K and lead to their respective magnets L L and after their proper winding thereon are both attached to a common ground-wire I, as is well understood.

The operation of my improved automatic switch is as follows: The circuit making and breaking device is, as stated, located a suitable distance in advance of the switch to be thrown, thereby permitting a car to operate said switch before the same is reached. Assuming a car equipped with my improved appliance to be moving in the proper direction upon the main track, the current from the trolley-wire propelling said car through the medium of the trolley wheel and pole, the finger h of the arm H, attached to the trolleypole, cont-acts with and lifts the arm E as soon as the same is reached, immediately permitting part of the current from the trolley-Wire to pass through the trolley wheel and pole to the arm H, out through the end of the finger h to the arm E, thence to the wire I, to the solenoid-magnet L, energizing said magnet and passing out to the ground through wire I. This energization of said magnet attracts the core L" inwardly, which in turn moves the upper end of the lever M toward said magnet and forces the opposite or lower end of said lever M in the opposite or outward direction, forcing the rod N outwardly, which rocks the shaft r and the disk R in the proper direction to open the switch (see Figs. 7 and 8) and permits the car to take the branch track B, this being its proper route, as it was provided upon its trolley-pole. with the finger h in proper registration with the arm E. Had it been a car Whose route was continuous upon the main tracks AA,the finger h would have been out of alinement with the arm E, and hence no current would have been taken from the trolley, but arm H would have been provided with a similar finger to that of h in alinement with the arm E upon the opposite side of the trolley-wire. It is obvious then that the current from the trolley-wire through the trolley wheel and pole would have caused the current to pass over the wire I and energize the magnet L, which would throw the switch B to a closed position, thereby permitting the car to keep the main track.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the fingers h" h are out of alinement with the arm E, while the finger h is directly-in alinement With the arm E, indicating that this is the proper car to take the branch track B, the fingers h 72/ having no significance at this juncture, but are designed to operate upon switches to be thrown at some future point upon the route of the particular car.

Assuming a car to have properly operated the switch B and to have taken the branch track and another car designed to take the same route should follow, the current will be established and the same magnet energized, but no operation of the switch results for the reason that the core of the magnet is already at the limit of its movement in this particular direction. v

To further illustrate this invention, reference is called to Figs. 10 and 11. Fig. 10 illustrates a portion of a railroad-track system in which the main track is marked Main and is provided with switches l, 2, 3, and 4 at the juncture of the branch roads marked First, Second, Fourth, and Sixth branches, respectively. The first branch is provided with a switch 5 at the juncture of the fifth branch. The second branch also is provided with a switch 6 at the juncture of the third branch. In Fig. 11 the four vertical lines to the left of the figure, having the rectangular figures placed thereon, represent,

the contact pieces or levers E E, while the balance of said Fig. 11 represents in diagram the arms II with the fingers 71, 7b, and h, h, and 72/, and h, h", h, and h". The arms 11 and II are both placed upon cars which turn off the main road into the first branch and are each provided with fingers 7b, which fingers are in alinement and contact with the arm E, which opens the switch 1, allowing both of said cars to pass onto the first branch. The arm H on the first car is provided with a finger h, which is in alinement with an arm E, which in turn opens the switch 5, allowing said car to turn onto the fifth branch, this being its proper route, while the next car, having the arm H is provided with a finger 7L out of alinement with the arm E, but directly in alinement with arm E, which arm contacts between said finger h and arm E, closes switch 5, permitting said lastmentioned car to continue on a straight course past said switch 5, this beingits proper route. The arms H and H are upon the cars designed to turn off the main track onto the second branch and are each provided with fingers 7L, arranged out of alinement with the arm E at the switch 1, and hence have no significance at this juncture; but said arms II and II are both provided with fingers 71 which are in proper alinement with the arm E at the switch 1, and their cooperation therewith causes the switch 1, it open, to close, thus permitting both of these last-mentioned cars to pass said switch 1 and continue along the main track until the fingers h of said arms are in alinement with the arm E, located in advance of the switch 2, which cooperates therewith,

' opening said switch 2 and permitting both cars to pass onto the second branch, where they continue to move until the fingers h' of the first car cooperate with an arm E in advance of the switch 6, opening the same and permitting said car to turn onto the third branch, while the next car has its fingers h' out of alinement with this arm E, but in alinement with the arm E, with which they cooperate and close the said switch 6, permitting said last-mentioned car to continue upon the straight track. The operation of the remaining two arms H H is substantially the same as those just described, with the exception that arm H is provided with fingers h h h, it being designed to open the switch 3 to permit the car to turn onto the fourth branch, while the fingers 7L and h are to close the switches 1 and 2, respectively, giving this car a straight track until switch 3 is reached. 11 is provided with a finger 7t for opening switch 4 and fingers h, h', and h for closing switches 1, 2, and 3, respectively. I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my switch can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric switching system, the conibination with a supply-wire, of a switch, an electric device for throwing said switch in one direction, a second electric device for throwing said switch in the other direction, an elongated contact-bar arranged parallel with said supply-wire and insulated therefrom and pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, a conductor from said contact-bar to said first-mentioned electric device, a second elongated contactbar arranged parallel with said supply-wire and insulated therefrom and pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, a conductor from said second contact-bar to said second electric device, a contact carried by a vehicle adapted to move along said first contact-bar and establish a current from said wire through said contact and contact-bar, and a second contact carried by another vehicle arranged to move along said second contact-bar and establish a current from said wire through said second contact and contact-bar, substantially as described.

2. In an electric switching system, the combination with a supply-wire, of two switches, an electric device for each switch for moving said switch in one direction, a second electric device for each switch for moving said switch in the other direction, two elongated contactbars for each switch arranged parallel to said wire and insulated therefrom and each pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, a conductor from each contact-bar to one of said electric .devices, and a plurality of contacts carried by a vehicle one of which is adapted to establish a current from said wire through said contact and one contact-bar for movingthe first switch in one direction, and another of which contacts is adapted to establish a current from said wire through said last contact and one contact-bar for the second switch for moving said second switch in the other direction.

3. In an electrical switching system, the combination with a supply-wire, of aswitch, a solenoid L and connections for throwing said switch in one direction, a solenoid L and connections for throwing said switch in the other direction,an elongated contact-barEarranged parallel with the supply-wire and insulated therefrom and pivoted to swing in a vertical plane,an electrical connection to said solenoid L, an elongated contact-bar E arranged parallel with the supply-wire and insulated therefrom and pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, an electrical connection to solenoid L, a contact 7b carried by a vehicle and fixedly arranged relative to said contacts and adapted to establish a current from said wire through contact E and connection to solenoid L, and a contact 7L carried by a second vehicle and fixedly arranged relative to said contacts and adapted to establish a current from said wire through contact E and connection to solenoid L, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a trolley-wire of a frame supported in proximity to said wire, contact-making devices on said frame, and

means for horizon tally adjusting said contactmaking devices, substantially as described.

5; The combination with a trolley-pole, of a clamp thereon, and a cross-arm detachably secured on said clamp having rising contact projections, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a trolley-wire, of a frame supported thereby, contact-making devices arranged on said frame, and means for adjusting said contactmaking devices toward or from the trolley-Wire, substantially as described. r

7. The combination with a trolley-wire, of an insulation-frame, contact-making devices adjustably mounted on said frame, and proj ections on the trolley for cooperating with one or the other of said contact-making devices, substantially as described.

8. The combination with atrolley-pole, of a clamp G arranged thereon, and having a projection g, a cross-arm having a socketfitted to said projection, and projections risingfrom saidcross-arm, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a trolley-pole, of a cross-arm having a plurality of rising contact projections, and means for adjustablysecuring the same to said pole, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a trolley-wire, of

ahorizontal frame, supported on the wire, and a substantially horizontal elongated contactbar arranged at one side of the trolley-wire and insulated therefrom and pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, substantially as described.

11. The combination,with a trolley-wire, of 'a'horizontal frame supported thereon, substantially horizontal contact-bars pivotally supported on the frame parallel to the wire and insulated therefrom, and means for adjusting the contact-bars horizontally on the frame, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a supply-wire, of acontact supportedparallel with said wire and'insulated therefrom, means for laterally adjusting said contact, and a substantially horizontal arm carried bya car and provided with a plurality of upwardly-extending contact projections one of which is-adapted to contact with saidwire-contact, substantially as described.

-In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the, presence of two witnesses, this 2d day of July, 1898.

JOHN BRENNAN, JR. 

